Abstract: | In view of the prominent role of the 1H‐indol‐3‐yl side chain of tryptophan in peptides and proteins, it is important to have the appropriately protected homologs H‐β2 HTrp OH and H‐β3 HTrp OH (Fig.) available for incorporation in β‐peptides. The β2‐HTrp building block is especially important, because β2‐amino acid residues cause β‐peptide chains to fold to the unusual 12/10 helix or to a hairpin turn. The preparation of Fmoc and Z β2‐HTrp(Boc) OH by Curtius degradation (Scheme 1) of a succinic acid derivative is described (Schemes 2–4). To this end, the (S)‐4‐isopropyl‐3‐(N‐Boc‐indol‐3‐yl)propionyl]‐1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one enolate is alkylated with Br CH2CO2Bn (Scheme 3). Subsequent hydrogenolysis, Curtius degradation, and removal of the Evans auxiliary group gives the desired derivatives of (R)‐H β2‐HTrp OH (Scheme 4). Since the (R)‐form of the auxiliary is also available, access to (S)‐β2‐HTrp‐containing β‐peptides is provided as well. |